LITERACY IMPACT! Literacy Across the Curriculum: Maintaining the Momentum Geoff Barton October 22, 2015

LITERACY IMPACT! 1 Where are we with “literacy” & the Strategy? 2 Evaluating your literacy strategy: what impact have you made so far, and how do you know? 3 What are the essentials for colleagues … In reading? In writing? In spelling? In grammatical knowledge? … and how will you achieve it?

LITERACY IMPACT! 2 strands … LITERACYYOUR ROLE

LITERACY IMPACT! The approach …

LITERACY IMPACT! By 3pm you should … Be clearer about your own role Know the priorities for your school Have learnt some useful literacy knowledge Be happier, wiser, and re-invigorated L.O.

LITERACY IMPACT! SECTION 1: Where the heck are we?

LITERACY IMPACT! The story so far …

LITERACY IMPACT! Literacy and the Strategy

LITERACY IMPACT! An inclusive education system within a culture of high expectations The centrality of literacy and numeracy across the curriculum The infusion of learning skills across the curriculum The promotion of assessment for learning Expanding the teacher ’ s range of teaching strategies and techniques No child left behind Reinforcing the basics Enriching the learning experience Making every child special Making learning an enjoyable experience AIMSAIMS

LITERACY IMPACT! Focus and structure the teaching Actively engage the pupils in the learning process Use assessment for learning Have high expectations Strive for well- paced teaching Create a settled and purposeful atmosphere 

LITERACY IMPACT! gains in the Year 9 test results were modest; catch-up arrangements have been dogged by the logistical problems of finding timetable space and staff; dissemination in departments has been slow in schools without consultancy support; the greatest impact has been in Year 7, with less impact in Years 8 and 9; reinforces fragmentation. 

LITERACY IMPACT!

Then … Coordinators Consultants Strands Overload

LITERACY IMPACT! Now … Fragmentation to cohesion Expectation of core teaching skills Emphasis on CPD Implication for disparate coordinators? Implications for school leadership? Supporting effect of workforce remodelling?

LITERACY IMPACT! From To Departmental strategies Whole-school strategy Departmental development School improvement National launch Local consolidation / embedding Directed training Selected training and support

KS3 IMPACT! CPD PEDAGOGY BEHAVIOUR COHESION RATHER THAN FRAGMENTATION L&T STYLES ALLOWANCES

LITERACY IMPACT! Implications … For you and your role Your school Your colleagues

Literacy strategy: The next phase THE NATIONAL AGENDA

Literacy strategy: The next phase Self-evaluation: So where are you up to in your school? NO PROGRESS GOOD PROGRESS 035

Literacy strategy: The next phase Headteacher Your role Senco Teachers Teaching assistants Governors NO PROGRESS GOOD PROGRESS 0 3 5

Literacy strategy: The next phase Key playerProgress ratingPriority Head You SENCO Teachers Teaching assistants Governors

Literacy strategy: The next phase 035 NO PROGRESS GOOD PROGRESS

Literacy strategy: The next phase 035 NO PROGRESS GOOD PROGRESS

Literacy strategy: The next phase 035 NO PROGRESS GOOD PROGRESS

Literacy strategy: The next phase 035 NO PROGRESS GOOD PROGRESS

Literacy strategy: The next phase 035 NO PROGRESS GOOD PROGRESS

Literacy strategy: The next phase 035 NO PROGRESS GOOD PROGRESS

KS3 IMPACT! What have been the successes in your own school? What do you need to do next?  Talking Point 

LITERACY IMPACT! SECTION 2: (re)Motivating the key players?

Key players Strategy manager Working party Headteacher Governors Teaching assistants Subject leaders Students!

LITERACY IMPACT! Key principles of Literacy Across the Curriculum Good literacy skills are a key factor in raising standards across all subjects. Language is the main medium we use for teaching, learning and developing thinking, so it is at the heart of teaching and learning. Literacy is best taught as part of the subject, not as an add-on. All teachers need to give explicit attention to the literacy needed in their subject

Consistency in teaching literacy is achieved when Literacy skills are taught consistently and systematically across the curriculum. Expectation of standards of accuracy and presentation are similar in all classrooms. Teachers are equipped to deal with literacy issues in their subject both generically and specifically. The same strategies are used across the school: the teaching sequence for writing; active reading strategies; planning speaking and listening for learning. Teachers use the same terminology to describe language.

Ofsted findings suggest the following Literacy across the curriculum is good when: senior managers are actively involved in the planning and monitoring. audits and action planning are rigorous. monitoring focuses on a range of approaches, e.g. Classroom observation, work scrutiny as well as formal tests. time is given to training, its dissemination and embedding. schools work to identified priorities.

Focus relentlessly on T&L “Schools are places where the pupils go to watch the teachers working” (John West-Burnham) “For many years, attendance at school has been required (for children and for teachers) while learning at school has been optional.” (Stoll, Fink & East) ‘Standards are raised ONLY by changes which are put into direct effect by teachers and pupils in classrooms’ Black and Wiliam, ‘Inside the Black Box’

LITERACY IMPACT! How do you motivate a reluctant team? 12

LITERACY IMPACT! 1.Don’t call it literacy - call it good learning & teaching 2.Build it into lesson observation sheets 3.Build it into performance management 4.Keep it in the public eye 5.Emphasise increased student motivation 6.Talk to your Head about core skills for all teachers

LITERACY IMPACT! 7Show before & after models 8Don’t focus on grammar knowledge needed by staff 9Show it’s part of a whole-school strategy 10Celebrate every small-scale success 11Quote students’ feedback 12Make it fun! …. 13 Make it non-negotiable

LITERACY IMPACT! Language Funnies

LITERACY FOR LEARNING DOGS MUST BE CARRIED ON THE ESCALATOR

Please don't smoke and live a more healthy life LITERACY FOR LEARNING PSE Poster

LITERACY FOR LEARNING Sign at Suffolk hospital: Criminals operate in this area

LITERACY FOR LEARNING ICI FIBRES

Churchdown parish magazine: ‘would the congregation please note that the bowl at the back of the church labelled ‘for the sick” is for monetary donations only’ LITERACY FOR LEARNING

Why cross- curricular literacy?

LITERACY FOR LEARNING The literacy context... A 1997 survey showed that of 12 European countries, only Poland and Ireland had lower levels of adult literacy 1-in-16 adults cannot identify a concert venue on a poster that contains name of band, price, date, time and venue 7 million UK adults cannot locate the page reference for plumbers in the Yellow Pages

BBC NEWS ONLINE: More than half of British motorists cannot interpret road signs properly, according to a survey by the Royal Automobile Club. The survey of 500 motorists - conducted to mark the 70th anniversary of the publication of the Highway Code - highlighted just how many people are still grappling with it.

According to the survey, three in five motorists thought a "be aware of cattle" warning sign indicated … an area infected with foot- and-mouth disease.

Common mistakes No motor vehicles - Beware of fast motorbikes Wild fowl - Puddles in the road Riding school close by - "Marlborough country" advert

LITERACY FOR LEARNING “Every teacher in English is a teacher of English” (George Sampson, 1922) Build it into lesson observation sheets and performance management It’s a process, not expertise - eg writing and spelling

Literacy strategy: The next phase STARTING-POINTS TO INCREASE MOTIVATION & MOMENTUM What’s your Head’s current involvement? How seriously is s/he taking whole-school literacy? What 1 or 2 messages should you be taking back? Do you have a literacy working-party? What have they achieved? What impact have they made? What’s their future? What about your own role? How successful have you been? Has classroom practice at your school developed? What will be your next steps?

LITERACY IMPACT! Key points for motivating the team: Differentiate: different people have different needs Embed: make it part of school processes - PM, reviews, observation Know your enemy: work with key players Keep it simple: in schools we tend to over-complicate

KS3 IMPACT! What have been the successes in your own school? What do you need to do next?  Talking Point 

LITERACY IMPACT! SECTION 3: Evaluating and planning (“We should measure what we value, not value what we measure” John MacBeath)

Staff …

Yes No

Student …

Book sampling…

KS3 IMPACT! What evaluation have you done? What could you do next?  Talking Point 

LITERACY IMPACT! Summary: Know your role - not a paper-chase Re-think your working party Identify key players Identify simple literacy priorities Tailored training, not blanket coverage Know how you will evaluate their success Build into school systems

Literacy strategy: The next phase IMPACT!

LITERACY IMPACT! Literacy Across the Curriculum: Maintaining the Momentum Geoff Barton October 22, 2015